F-104B Starfighter
changes from the F-104A Jet Fighter

The first of an initial batch of six
F-104Bs *serial number 56-3719) took off on its maiden
flight on January 16, 1967. It had been literally
build by hand out of an F-104A airframe, and the larger area
vertical tail, the automatic pitch control system, and the
fire control system of later F-104Bs were not installed.
It was unofficially designated the YF-104B, although it was
Lockheed's downward-firing ejection seat that was initially
fitted to the F-104A.

The initial batch of F-104Bs had the same vertical
tail as did the F-104A single seater. However, the B
did not have the ventral fin that was fitted to the A.
During early flight testing, the F-104Bs exhibited an
annoying tendency to snake back and forth during flight,
indicating that a larger keel area was required.
Twenty subsequent F-104B production versions (from FY 1957
batches) were fitted with the F-104A's ventral fin and were
given considerably larger vertical fin area and a
broad-chord, fully power-assisted rudder extending well
beyond the end of the tail pipe. The area of the
vertical fin of the F-104B was now fully 25 percent larger
than that of the F-104A.